Land use in Riyadh up

[Chief Editor]

Land use in Riyadh up


An aerial view of of the eastern part of Riyadh shows finished villas and housing units under construction as land use continues to rise in the capital city.


By RODOLFO C. ESTIMO JR. | ARAB NEWS
Published: Mar 11, 2010 00:33 Updated: Mar 11, 2010 00:38



RIYADH: A new survey conducted by Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA) shows that built-up areas in the Kingdom’s capital last year increased by 12 percent when compared to 2005.

“The developed land includes 176 sq km, which is up 16.8 percent compared to the total in the 2005 survey,” said an ADA spokesman.

The growth is concentrated on the fringes of the city, especially in the eastern part where buildings and housing constructions dominate the landscape.

The study also indicates that the number of housing units constructed totals 817,000, up 16 percent from 2005. For its new study, the ADA has used a new type of technology to accumulate statistics on housing units and the size of land used.

“These are in addition to buildings under construction and empty lots representing 50 percent of the whole land in Riyadh,” the spokesman said.